USC snaps up Enfield from Florida Gulf Coast

Story highlights

Florida Gulf Coast is the first No. 15 regional seed to ever get to the Sweet 16

Enfield has been successful throughout his life, even off the court

The basketball program became eligible for the NCAA tournament two years ago

The University of Southern California hired Andy Enfield to become the Trojans head basketball coach on Monday, completing a Cinderella season for the rising star.

The former Florida Gulf Coast coach led the No. 15 seeded Eagles to the NCAA Sweet 16 -- the first time that feat has been accomplished.

"Andy has been successful in every area of his life," said USC Athletic Director Pat Haden. "He has been a success on the court as a record-setting player, in the classroom as an Academic All-American, in the corporate world with successful businesses."

Enfield is used to success. He was valedictorian in high school in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. As a college guard at Johns Hopkins University, he set the NCAA Division III record in 1991 for career free throw percentage at 92.5%. He parlayed his reputation as a great shooter into a job as a consultant to NBA teams where he helped players improve their form.

Two of those gigs turned into full-time positions as an assistant coach, one with the Boston Celtics.

While Enfield taught good shooting technique, he also learned about coaching from Rick Pitino, who is now the head coach of No. 1 seed Louisville.

Before coming to the Florida Gulf Coast, Enfield was an assistant coach at Florida State for five years, helping the Seminoles to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including the Sweet 16 in 2011.

Enfield was 41-28 in his two seasons in Fort Myers, equaling the school's combined win total in the four years before he arrived.

It's been a quick rise to prominence for a school that didn't even exist 16 years ago and only started its sports program in 2002.

The hoops team, which joined Division I just five years ago and became eligible for tournament play two years ago, was coming off a 10-20 season